Masaya Kato

Masaya Kato, born in Nara Prefecture in 1963, started his career modeling for male fashion magazines and the Paris Collection. His screen debut, as the lead in Shiro & Marilyn (1987) launched a successful Japanese acting career; credits include Hideo Gosha's "Four Days of Snow and Blood,' ' Takayoshi Watanabe's Kimi Wa Boku Wo Sukininaru, Tamasaburo Bando's Operation Room and The Setting Sun, for which he received the prestigious Yujiro Ishihara award.

In 1990, Kato moved to the US, starting his international film career. In 1993, Kato starred opposite Jacqueline Bisset in Crime Broker, and the following year, starred opposite Brooke Shields in The Seventh Floor. Gradually building his reputation overseas, Kato moved his base completely to the U.S. Other film credits include Crying Freeman in 1996 and Abunai Deka Forever in 1998. Kato continues to star in both Japanese and American films, enjoying an active career as an international actor.